Nail-plate feeder



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. G. GOULD.

NAIL PLATE EEEDEE. 110.317,529. Patented May 12, 1885.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. C. GOULD.

NAIL PLATE FEEDER.

No. 317,529. Patented May 12, 1885.

N. PETzRs. Pmm-Limgmphar. washingwn. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN C. GOULD, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

NAIL-PLATE FEEDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 317,529, dated May 12, 1885.

Application filed January27, 1885. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that l, JOHN C. GOULD, a citizen of the United States, residing in Chica-go, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Nail-Plate Feeders, of which the following is a specification,

This invention relates to the grippers used in nail-plate feeders for gripping and feeding forward the nail-plate rod; and it consists in the novel features hereinafter specified.

In the drawings accompanying this specification and forming a part thereof, Figure 1 is a plan View of my present invention. Fig. 2 is a bottom View. Fig. 3 is an end view, partly in section. Fig. 4 is a side elevation. Fig. 5 is a central vertical longitudinal section, and Fig. 6 is an elevation of the grippers, showing the other side thereof from that given in Fig. 3. This latter view is also partly in section.

In said drawings, A represents the bracket whereby the grippers are supported.

B B are the grippers acting upon the platerod and actuating it intermittently toward the knives. They are supported upon a pivot, b, held between two conically-pointed set-screws, b', and are swung upon this pivot by the pushrod C, in the usual manner.

D is the set-screw by which the back-throw of the grippers is limited, said set-screw being secured in the bracket or yoke attached thereto and passing through the arm H projecting from the gripper B. Between the grippers is an intermediate piece E, similar in most respects to that shown in my patent of January 22,1884. This piece is supported upon apin, e,

projecting from the gripper B. It loosely encircles both the bolt n (which limits the spread of the grippers) and the pivot Z, and its upper end forms the support for the plate-rod, as in said patent. At its lower end it receives the push-rod, and hence forms the medium for both oscillating the grippers on their pivot and for actuating them to grip the plate-rod.

In the gripping function I devolve all the movement upon the gripper BQ the other gripper, B, being held stationary upon the pivot b by the set-screw o; hence the gripper B' encircles the pivot loosely, as shown.

To cause the spreading ofthe lower ends of the grippers, and the gripping by their upper ends when the push-rod acts upon the intermediate piece E, I provide said intermediate piece with a roller, r, which works upon a vertical surface, p, formed upon the lower end of gripper B, and inclined relative to the line of the feed. This crowds the intermediate piece and the gripper B in a lateral direction and causes the upper ends ofthe grippers to seize the plate-rod, the gripper B being furnished with a straight bearing-surface, p', against which a like surface, p2, on t-he intermediate piece bears. i

At either end of the angling surface p are curved guards p, which serve to confine and limit the movement of the roller, and at the back of the intermediate piece are guards p, which act as stops to the forward movement of the intermediate piece.

The gripping-surfaces proper of the grippers I form ot' rotatable vertical disks F, mounted upon horizontal pivots f, frictionally heldin the upper ends of the grippers, the amount of friction being capable of regulation by the set-screws f. Then the grippers swing forward, these disks, which are then in gripping contact with the plate-rod, turn upon their pivots a fraction of a revolution with each impulse, and consequently, when the grippers next seize the rod, Vthe disks are in a slightly changed. position. This slight rotation occurs at each operationfand consequently the wearing of grooves in the gripping-surface is prevented, the disks wearing evenly throughout, and thus obviating the necessity of frequent renewals of these surfaces. If the grippers should not work truly in line with the other parts of the machinethat is, should tend to deiect the plate-rod to one side--I provide means for correcting the evil by making the. supporting-yoke A', in which they are pivoted separate from and adjustable upon the bracket A, instead of in one piece therewith, according to the former construction, the dividing-line between the two being a circular one with the gripping-point as a center. The yoke is held to the bracket by the bolt a' and washer a2, the opening in the yoke through which the bolt passes being laterally enlarged, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. l. By this means the yoke may beso adjusted upon the bracket as to bring the gripping-surfaces into true alignment. The

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- laterally-moving gripper B, all combined and spring sholds the push-rod and intermediate l piece together, vas in my former patent.

By making pin e hollow I am enabled to utilize it as aholder for the spring g, whereby the gripping-surfaces are forced apart after each operation.

l. The combination, in a nail-plate feeder, of gripper B', having hollow pin e, with the opposing gripper, B, and the spring g, held in said pin and acting to spread the grippers, substantially as specified. p

2. In a nail-plate feeder, the gripper B, provided with the angling surface p, but having no lateral movement, the intermediate piece actuated` by the push-rod and carrying the roller r, Working upon said surface p, and the operating substantially as speciiied. l

VJOHN GOULD.

W i Lnesses H. M. MUNDAY, EDMUND ADoooK. 

